A Spa Experience in Piestany

A Spa Experience in Piestany
By Marcus Vaz & Kathy Longley

Legend has it, that in 1642, natives of what is now Slovakia observed a peacock “miraculously” heal its broken leg by sitting in the hot mud of a thermal spring. Thus was born the spa town of Piestany.

A few centuries later, following in the footsteps of royalty, maharajahs, politicians, and countless thousands of others, Piestany was visited by members of the Medical Advisory Board for the All Party Parliamentary Group on fibromyalgia, to evaluate and enjoy some of the benefits. Our invitation came from the owners of the spa, who were interested in our opinion of their facility and whether we thought it might be of some benefit to individuals with fibromyalgia.

We left Stansted airport at 11am flying with Sky Europe to Bratislava. Sky Europe is a typical low-cost airline, like EasyJet, where delays are fairly common and food is not available on the flight. With that said, the Sky Europe staff were impeccably turned out and could not have been more polite or helpful during our flight. Kathy received all the disabled assistance requested and I felt privileged travelling with such an honoured traveller who people could not do enough for; personally I think it is the way she smiles at them. Bratislava is a small airport, easy to negotiate and we came to know the shops very well on our return journey, which was delayed for two hours! Security is very tight in Slovakia; the airport security guards gave Kathy's wheelchair a very close inspection and even requested a letter from her doctor to prove that she needed it. (Something to bear in mind if you plan to travel to Slovakia in a wheelchair.) Personally, we found this reassuring, as many airports seem to think that people in wheelchairs could not possibly be at fault.

On arrival at the Balnea Esplanade 4* hotel, located on the Spa Island, we were shown to our rooms to freshen up, or in Kathy’s case to collapse on the bed. I was on the 5th floor in a twin room with en-suite facilities, including a separate WC. The room was well laid out with the usual complimentary soaps, shampoos etc. The mini bar was also well laid out with wine, beers, chocolate etc. I did feel that the towels were a little coarser than I was used to and Kathy pointed out that although there was plenty of space in the room for her wheelchair, the bathroom and toilet were inaccessible and the bath was a little too high for someone with mobility problems.

The view from the balcony was simply amazing, with rolling hills covered with trees in the distance and the river immediately below separating us from the town of Piestany. The spa resort is on its own island, with the river Vah on one side and a canal on the other. It is beautifully set out in a park with ponds and fountains and is a pleasure to stroll around.

A short while later having unpacked and settled in, it was time for refreshments. A rather splendid light meal of meats and cheeses was served on a sunny patio, while we received an outline of our visit from Ingrid and Jana, our official guides.

They introduced us to Helena, our guide for the rest of the day. Helena was a young Slovakian lady with a very bright disposition who immediately made me feel inadequate as she spoke German, English, Spanish and Russian as well as Slovak. Kathy was able to converse with her in German whilst I just grinned and tried to look as if I knew what was going on. She was very thorough and explained the procedure (several times to me) for the next day and gave us a tour of the facilities with Kathy making a mental image of where to go, as I always get lost.

The next morning we were greeted by bright sunshine and a cloudless sky. It was marred a little by the fact that in Slovakia they start work at 7am, rather early for my tastes and exceptionally early for Kathy! First on our list was Dr. Maria Struhurova, one of the spa’s physicians, whose office was located with simple ease by Kathy. She explained the booking in and screening procedures for all new patients and talked about the rationale behind the prescription of the various treatments. Dr. Struhurova felt that the British medical profession tend to look only at either drugs or surgery as methods of treatment and fail to see the benefits of medical spa therapy. When asked about the evidence base for the therapy here she replied, “It is difficult in this arena to provide a solid evidence base for the therapies here, but many patients return regularly because they feel they are improving. We recommend a three week stay to achieve maximum potential from the treatment.”

I questioned Dr. Struhurova about treatment options for mechanical back pain but she said that the main aim of the spa was to treat rheumatic conditions rather than mechanical. However, I feel that the principles involved would also be beneficial to mechanical back pain sufferers.

Dr. Struhurova enquired about our particular health needs and prescribed that today Kathy would have a hot thermal mineral bath, while I had a session in the mirror pool followed by a “classical” massage and tomorrow we would have the mud wrap. Kathy was dubious that the massage might be a little too much for her and Dr. Struhurova agreed. The spa does offer a soft tissue massage that would be more appropriate for fibromyalgia.

Personally, I was encouraged by the thought that went into the prescription of treatments. Safety was obviously a paramount issue, taking into account the effect of heat on heart conditions and ensuring that a patient did not overdo the mineral absorption by spending too much time in mineral baths. It was explained that the whole idea behind the treatments was to improve the circulation around the joints and in the muscles; increase lymphatic drainage; and to allow the mineral content of the water and mud to revitalise the body, which makes a great deal of sense.

We were introduced to Alan, who would be our guide and I was taken to the male area, as the sexes are segregated, and invited to strip off. First problem: I wasn’t offered a towel or robe. I was expected to walk from the changing cubicle to the mirror pool as nature intended. I did feel just a little uncomfortable with this, but I bit the bullet and took the plunge as it were. The other patients didn’t seem to mind but I feel that walking around “au natural” is distinctly un-British. Anyway, the mirror pool, a pool filled with natural sulphuric mineral water at a temperature of 38°C, was absolutely wonderful. The specific gravity of the water was quite high so I felt very supported. I could quite literally feel tension in my shoulders and feet “floating away”.

The classical massage was, well, certainly different from any other massage I’ve had. Its purpose was not to just relax me but to stimulate the circulation around the joints. Interestingly they did not use oil but rather soap and hot water, which I found very effective. Mind you as I looked to my right there was another patient being worked on, on the table immediately next to me. The idea of privacy seemed a little redundant. The masseur started on my feet and worked up the backs of my legs very vigorously. He worked very deeply and very fast, before I knew it he was pummelling away at my upper back and shoulders then into my neck. (Kathy had definitely made the right decision!) The whole thing took about 15-20 minutes which would be considered very quick in the UK. However, I must state that this type of therapy has a definite purpose and is not aimed at pampering the patients. I actually felt quite invigorated and noticed that the tension I usually carry around with me was somewhat lessened. Afterwards, I got dressed again (relief!) and wandered out to find Kathy, which was something I was to spend a lot of time doing over the next few days.

Kathy had enjoyed her mineral bath; so much so in fact that she was still dozing, happily cocooned in the cotton sheets she had been wrapped in following her bath. When Alan informed her that my treatments Kathy’s warm mineral bath were finished and I was waiting outside she still seemed to have no intention of moving. She compared the bath to a personal Jacuzzi, with the bubbles gently massaging your body while you simply lie back and relax. The only difference was the pervading smell of sulphur, which you simply can't escape in a spa complex. A member of staff had come along every five minutes to check that Madame was OK and to offer to add more hot water. She was pleased with herself that she had persuaded the staff member to take a photo of her enjoying her bath and it was not until later when I showed an over avid interest in the photo that she realised it was not altogether appropriate for a non-pornographic magazine! She has therefore only allowed me to include a photograph of the bath, with the rest left to your imagination.

After lunch we met up with Ingrid for a tour of the Old Spa complex. The Spa Island consists of six hotels of differing standards to offer a choice depending on your budget. The newer complex has two 4* and two 3* hotels offering a variety of rooms from superior to economy. The great thing is that these four hotels are interlinked by wheelchair accessible corridors and all offer access to the treatment areas from undercover, so it is possible to remain indoors at all times if it is wet or cold. In my case it is also possible to get hopelessly lost and end up wandering about for ages searching for my room! Luckily Kathy had an excellent sense of direction in this labyrinth, so as long as I didn’t lose her I was OK.

The Old Spa complex comprises a 3* and a 2* hotel with a separate treatment area from the newer complex. The Thermia Palace, the 3* option, is stunningly ornate with many decorative features, like a stain glass window of the famous peacock and an image of a man breaking his crutch, the symbol of Piestany. This is where royalty and politicians have stayed and we were shown the impressive banquet hall where they signed the visitor’s book and ate in style. Ingrid showed us around the treatment areas, which included a huge mud bath. Kathy and I were ready to jump in straight away and wallow like hippos, it looked so inviting, but we did have a lot to see that afternoon.

The inviting mud pool Treatment at this unique medical spa does not simply involve soaking in thermal water or mud pools for hours on end, delightful though that would be, many other options are incorporated into a patient’s programme. Some examples are: rehabilitation exercises, hydrotherapy, traction, oxygen therapy, electrotherapy, acupuncture, and phototherapy. Your spa physician works out an individual programme for you to treat your condition successfully. Many of these therapies cannot be taken without a doctor’s prescription and they are all carefully regulated. Options are available for people with heart conditions who are unable to cope with high changes in temperature and therefore cannot wallow in the mud pool for example. They have the option of local application of the mud combined with paraffin to form a solid but flexible film 1 cm thick, cut into squares and applied to an area of the body.

The Spa water can be drunk too to treat bowel or gastric problems. In fact: “According to the Russian experiences, water containing larger amounts of hydrosulphide increases gastric acidity and enhances gastric emptying.”1 Kathy, living in Bath, was wise to the taste of the water and let me swallow the first mouthful. She grinned as my face clearly showed that despite its renowned beneficial effects, the sulphur content played havoc with the taste.

After our tour we decided to cross the river Vah and visit the town, as it was a beautiful afternoon, before returning to our hotel. Piestany is a small town with many delightful shops. We went present hunting and soon I was buying up a selection of wares while proudly thanking the shop assistant in my newly acquired Slovak. When I turned round Kathy was gone. I stepped outside expecting to see her waiting for me, but she had totally vanished. Now I know my company can be a bit wearing at times but I was sure I’d done nothing to cause offence. I wandered up and down the street frantically looking for her; she can’t have left me here alone she knows I get lost. After 10 minutes I was getting really worried imagining kidnap scenarios, a drowning in the river etc. I asked a passer by if they had seen a young lady in a wheelchair and they looked about at all the people in wheelchairs passing by (this was a medical spa after all) and shrugged helplessly. I ran on, managed to find head office and raised the alarm. “Did she get disorientated?” They wanted to know, “Could she manage on her own?” This sent me into even more of a panic and I raced back at top speed to the hotel (only taking a few wrong turns) to see if Kathy had wandered back; there was no sign of her and her room key hang on its hook reproaching me. I wasted no time, I ran back to town to search anew, but she was nowhere to be found. After half an hour I ran back to the hotel again in case there had been any sightings; her key was gone, she had returned.

In fact, Miss Longley was happily snoozing in bed totally oblivious to all the panic on her behalf. When I banged on her door still very flustered she opened it very calmly and surveyed me sleepily. As I went into my torrent of questions and long list of her possible fates she simply burst into fits of laughter and seemed to think the whole thing was totally hysterical; I could quite happily have throttled her. She, apparently, had left the shop thinking I was following her and had gone into the next shop to buy chocolate; such an engrossing activity that she failed to notice my absence. When it did register she looked for me for a whole 2 minutes before carrying on with her shopping and returning home by a different scenic route along the river. In between gasping for breath as tears streamed down her face she did inform me that she was 31 and could look after herself! She then proceeded to tell everyone we met about this “amusing” incident breaking into fits of mirth as she described me running back and forth in panic. At least she had the decency to inform me if she went anywhere without me from then on, but I did detect the edge of sarcasm in her voice.

Our complimentary evening concert did a lot to restore my mood. The well-known classical pieces were superb, especially when accompanied by a very attractive young lady singer who had an amazing voice. It was an enjoyable night and I even managed to direct our way back along the interlocking corridors. I fell asleep happily contemplating tomorrow’s mud wrap.

Being covered in hot mud is a most pleasant experience, even if the mud is rather hotter than expected and you jump up in surprise when you first place your bare bottom on the mud-covered bed. The staff member, obviously used to this reaction, simply smiled and bade me lie down again; I did, but with more caution. Handfuls of dark, warm mud were then slapped onto all my joints before I was wrapped up in sheets and told to stay put for 20 minutes. I lay there slowly baking in the squidgy mud, aware of the habitual sulphur smell. Every 5 minutes a member of staff came and wiped the sweat off my face and asked if I was OK. When my time was up I was shepherded to a shower to wash the mud off, actions being used to ensure I washed between my bottom! Once clean I was wrapped up again in fresh sheets for another 20 minutes to relax before heading off for another massage.

Kathy had had a similar experience minus the massage and had clearly enjoyed it too. As we went to lunch our guide, Jana, explained a bit about the unique properties of Piestany mud. This river mud is alive with microorganisms including thermal sulphurous bacteria, which enrich the mud with the important mineral sulphur. Sulphur actively participates in metabolism, being an integral part of some proteins and sugars; stimulates breathing; and enhances blood supply. The heat from the mud, which transfers heat to the body 25 times faster than air, offers many benefits the major one being increased circulation. Heat acts to alleviate pain, relax muscle spasms, reduce morning stiffness and increase the elasticity of connective tissues. Altogether this works to increase the mobilisation of the joints and muscles. The heat is also believed to stimulate significant hormone activation, in particular growth hormone, reported to be low in fibromyalgia. Studies have shown that the rise in core temperature you experience with a whole body mud wrap significantly increases the levels of growth hormone and enhances the activity of immune system, which may account for some of the beneficial effects reported from the mud treatment. This curative mud is outstanding for its physical, chemical and biological properties.

During lunch we discussed the beneficial effects of spa treatment for fibromyalgia with Dr Pavol Makovnik. He explained that: “Patients need to be aware that treatment at this spa is medical treatment not beauty treatment. Their Marcus & Kathy with Dr Pavol Makovnik symptoms may escalate initially, but following a three-week treatment programme offers significant improvements.” These improvements may not be fully appreciated until six weeks after the spa visit however. “With fibromyalgia,” he continued, “the treatment helps the musculoskeletal system by relaxing and stretching the muscles; increasing the circulation and enhancing lymphatic drainage.” Dr Pavol seemed well informed about fibromyalgia and suggested that if a group wished to visit a specifically tailored programme could be arranged. When we pointed out that in the UK it is hard to get 3 weeks holiday, he responded that a two-week stay is still beneficial with expected improvements for up to six months, but a one-week stay rarely has a significant therapeutic effect.

After lunch we opted for a dip in one of the outside thermal pools, which Kathy had been eyeing up through the window over lunch. The rising steam from the surface of the water looked most inviting and I thankfully donned my swimming trunks before wading in. It was like taking a warm bath in the garden, relaxing while enjoying the scenery. Kathy very quickly located the inflow pipe of hot water and guarded it jealously, only moving aside when she felt too hot. There where others also enjoying the pool and we chatted to them about their experiences here. Rose, a lady from the US, told us that she was thoroughly enjoying her stay, though she couldn’t tell yet if it was having a therapeutic effect on her rheumatoid arthritis. She was pleased with her individually designed programme and seemed keen to return. “It is so relaxing here,” she enthused, “and wonderful to receive such a variety of treatments under one roof.”

Marcus & Kathy enjoying the thermal pool Our last evening was spent in the hotel’s wine bar, listening to a band and drinking the local beer. We reviewed our stay and concluded that we were impressed with the facilities on offer here and the potential for treatment for individuals with fibromyalgia. It was impossible to say if the therapies had had any effect on Kathy’s FM, as we had been here such a short time, but she agreed that she would be prepared to return for a longer stay to test the treatments more thoroughly! The physicians here cannot guarantee an improvement for fibromyalgia, as they do not have as much anecdotal evidence as they have for oestoarthritis for example, but they seem to be well informed and the range of treatments available is promising as well as very enjoyable.

Prices for visiting Piestany Spa
Price for a three-week traditional spa stay at the 4* Esplanade hotel this winter including: accommodation in a standard double room at full board and all prescribed treatments is 1393 euros/per person, which is £967.78.
Prices come down if you choose a cheaper hotel or a shorter stay. See the website www.spa-piestany.sk for more details. There are plenty of options to entertain your accompanying spouse. The Spa Island has a golf course, a beauty salon with sauna, Jacuzzi, and massage on offer as well as plenty of organised trips to the surrounding sights.

Disabled Facilities
At present the only fully accessible wheelchair rooms are located in the 2* Pro Patria hotel next to the Old Spa complex. The new spa complex has accessible access, spacious rooms, and lift and corridor access to treatment areas, but it is not possible to use the bathroom facilities in a wheelchair. New hotel facilities are currently under construction to provide 4* fully accessible rooms.
Some of the treatment areas are also not wheelchair accessible so you need to be able to walk into cubicles and to manage short flights of stairs into the pools and mud baths. Contact the Spa at their website if you have any queries regarding access.

References:
1. Sulphur Containing Mineral Waters, by Juraj Kolesar, Acta Rheumatologica & Balneologica Pistiniana.